22 June 2007
PUTRAJAYA: Nineteen maid agencies have been suspended following public complaints of cheating and breach of conditions of their permits.
They have a week to explain the complaints received by Immigration enforcement officers failing which their licences would be revoked.
Home Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Radzi Sheikh Ahmad said this action was necessary in view of the many complaints against them.
"They have until the end of this month to appeal the suspension and if they fail to do so, their permits will be immediately terminated," he said, adding this was the first time the ministry was resorting to such a move.
The mInistry before merely issued warnings to emp-loyment agencies which breached their permit conditions.
He warned the company owners that once their operating licences were terminated, they would not be able to operate, even under a new company name.
This, he added was because the ministry had all the details required to prevent them from doing so.
The agencies, Radzi said had been asked to see Immigration Department enforcement officers to reply to the reports lodged against them.
Radzi said the private limited companies that have been suspended are Philipmore, Has, Sasyaz, MNK, Uni Tenaga, Sri Nadin, Indomaid, AZ, Alaf Baru and Speecomaju.
Also suspended are Priceton, Cita Selasih, Ibu, Ryugi, Srikanti, Abdullah and Friends, Sri Anika, Advance Advisory and Vegah.
Radzi said his ministry had also blacklisted 85 employers of maids, for failing to pay their maids’ wages.
"The ministry is giving them a chance to appeal but they must prove that they would be able to pay the salaries soon," he said.
He added that they would be required to open bank accounts for their maids for the purpose.
He also said that Kemas Cerah Sdn Bhd (from Kuala Lumpur), the agency that provided the Indonesian maid Ceriyati Daplin, 34, who escaped her alleged abusive employers last Saturday by climbing out a condominium window, had its licence terminated for breach of regulations.
"She was supposed to be sent to an employer in Terengganu, but was instead delivered to a different one," he said.
He also urged maid agencies to take the initiative to check on the maids they supplied every three months.
He said the ministry provided 24-hour hotline numbers: 03-8880-1455 and 03-8880-1399 for anyone to lodge reports on maid abuse.
By: Farrah Naz Karim
